CH. XL] BIRD RUN TO LEEWARD, 181 



running bird, and, in spite of all your calls, have rushed 

 forward and seized it, you ought to have proceeded as 

 described in 322. Clearly, however, you would not have 

 dragged the dog back to the place where he "down 

 charged," but merely to the spot from which he had made 

 his unlawful rush. If the bird had been very active, it 

 would have been far better to have fired at it a second 

 time (while it was running), than to have incurred the 

 risk of making your dog unsteady by a wild pursuit. 

 Suppose that it was not winged, but rose again on your 

 approaching it, and fluttered off, a hard trial for the 

 young dog, you must, however, have made him bear 

 it, and obey your loud command to " drop/' you would 

 (or should) have taken another shot, and have proceeded 

 in exactly the same manner as if this had been your 

 first find (265, 266). 



309. As the wounded bird was to windward of the 

 dog, the course to follow was obvious, it was plain 

 sailing ; but the case would have varied greatly if the 

 dog had been to windward. Had you pursued the usual 

 plan, he must have roaded the bird by the " foot ; " and 

 the danger is, that in allowing him to do so, you may 

 create in him the evil habit of hunting with his nose 

 close to the ground, which is above all things to be 

 deprecated. You have another mode you can " lift " 

 the dog (I suppose you know the meaning of that hunt- 

 ing term), and make him take a large circuit, and so 

 head the bird, and then proceed as if it had fallen to 

 windward. 



310. The latter plan would avoid all risk of your 

 making him a potterer, and it is, I think, to be recom- 

 mended if you find him naturally inclined to hunt low. 

 But the former method, as a lesson in " footing," must 

 be often resorted to, that he may learn unhesitatingly to 



